Extension-step.



1. M. KELLY.

EXTENSION STEP.

APPLlCATION FILED APR.25, 1914.

Patented July 123, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. M. KELLY.

EXTENSiON STEP.

APPLICATIQN FILED APR.2 5, 1914.

1,146,429,. Patented July 13, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- J. M. KELLY.

EXTENSION STEP.

APPLICATION man APR-25, I914.

146,429 Patented July 13, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEETS.

line.

" The'car l' hasthe usual r re tr Janus M; Kerry, or oHIcAeo, ,itmnois.

Y uxruNsIon-s'rnr.

17 '0 all whom alt-may concern: 1

lie it known that JAMEs: M. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of 'Illinois,'" have invented certain-new andluseful Improvements in Extension-Steps, of

which the following is a specification. i

The object of my'invention'isto provide a.

step-of this type for-useon electric or rail- 1 road coaches or in other connections-where gradestops are'necessary, so constructed and arranged that at least onestep of the steps canbe folded up to apositionben'eath the remaining steps when'not in use, and when "i'n use is extended outwardly and down- ;wardlry to'bring a person into closer proximity to the ground when alightlngfrom the step.

I 'A- further object' is to so construct the "p'arts', comprising steps located in a well formed in the;fl oor*-o'f the vehicle and the well-provided with ithe usual door, that when the door is opened the extension steps are swung down into position-and when the 'dooris closedthe extension steps are folded iipkindbeneath the remaining or stationary t p I a f Yet another object is to so construct the v parts'thatwhentlie do or'covering the stat'ionary step is 'closed no part of the steps "project's beyondthe side of the car.

' lVitlrother objects in view; which willbe referredto, my "invention consists in the *pecu'liarfcombination and novel arrange- I m'cnt otthe parts such as'will-be hereinafter jino're' fully described III'COIIIIQClZlOIl'WliJh the. iaccomp'any ng"drawings and more pa:rt1cudiagrammaticallyillustrating in end elevafltionacarwith parts in section to show the manner of applying my invention thereto. "FigJQ is' a'vicw in side elevation of-the car. i is a" fragmentary sectional view on the otFig. 1." Fig. t-is a fragmentary ig. l gbut: showing the partsin" changed relyiowon' the line 55 of Fig-1.

Well or openin 2 i'providcd'througlrthe floor 3'- thereof,-an a Specification of Letters Patent; i Patntgdl July 13, 1%115, 'Application filedAprilZS, 1914. Serial No. 8 34,453.

this floor substantially continuous when it is not desired to use the step. The steps 4 are built up in the usual manner tocomprise tread and risers and the brackets? are secured to the under side of the lowermost, tread 8.- A plate 9 is pivoted near the forward end of the tread 8 between bIZICliuts most stationary step and the tread plate 11 of theextensible step can be swung up flat against the riser-plate 9. A bracket =13'is secured to the under side of the tread of the' step 14 in the upper part of the stationary step 4, and a bell crank lever 15 lis'pivotedat its angleto this bracket. 'A'bracket 16 is secured to the riser of the step 14 andan operating lever 17 is pivotedin its body portion to this bracket, a link 18 pivoted to'one end of theoperating .leve rl7 and to an arm of the bell-crank lever 15 being provided to form a flexible connection between these two members. -An arm l9 is rigidly secured at its on'eend to the under side of the tread 11 of the extensible step and at its free end is pivotally connectedat 26 to the free end of:

the bell-crank lever-'15." An arm 20 is secured to the underside of thedoor 5 adjacent the hinge connection 6 with the floor and extends down through the floor through an opening 21*approximately--at right angles to the longitudinal extent ofthe door. This arm 20 has a bearin-g pie-22 formed on the free end thereof and this-bearing pin extends through a slot 23 fo-rn1ed in the free end of the operating lever-1 7,; Through thearrangement as above described, a complete chain of" connectingparts 1s provided through arm 20, operating lever 17 link 18, -bell-crank lever 15 and arm 19 from the I door 5 to the treadll of the extension steps. nectional view similar to the disclosure 'in 'It'will of course be understood that a V "fdooropening 21 is provided through the -mirepositions;- Fig. 51s a vertical sectional side of a car adjacent the point at which the steps't are located, and a car door 25 is provided to close the door-opening 24 when the door 5 is in alowered or'cl osed position. The use and operatlon "are as follows.

The-car door 25 is swung-from the car door openingfli and this permits the floor door to be raised to a-position shown in Figs;

the-under side of the tread 8 of the lower- 1, 3 and 5, so that the well 2 through the floor of the car is opened. The arm20 secured to the door 5 through its connection gin the slot 23 of the operating lever 17 the link '18 to transmit a swinging move-' causes this lever to be swung about its pivot on the bracket 16 and to the connection of ment to the bell-crank lever 15.. As the bellcrank lever 15 is shifted the extension step is, through the connection of the arm 19 rigidly secured to the tread 11 with an arm closing again, and the arms 19 and 20 are rigidly secured to the parts with which they are connected, the tread 11 of the extension step will be held rigidly in its extended position, but when the door 5 is a in closed the parts 0 erate in a reverse re ation than that descri ed, the operating lever 17 is swung to one side and through its connec- I and hinged to the tread of the steps above tion by link 18 with the bell-crank lever 15 to swing this bell-crank lever about its pivotal connection on bracket 13. The connection of the arm 19 at 26 with the arm of the bell-crank lever 15- causes the tread and riser of the extension step to be swung into the position shown in Fig. 4 where they lie beneath and against the tread 8 of the stationary step.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a device of the character described,simple and inex ensive to manufacture and install yet e cient in operation, andone which may be installed in the vehicle either at the time of. the manufacture or after the vehicle has left the factory.

While I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, it will be understood that slight changes might be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the s irit and sco of my invention, and hence wis to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

1. In a vehicle having an opening through the floor thereof, a door hinged adjacent thereto to swing down over and close said opening, a set of steps mounted within the opening, at least one of said stegs having the tread and riser thereof pivote together in such a manner that these members may be collapsed to-a position to rest one beneath the other and against the under side of the tread of the step above, an arm secured to the door to swing therewith, and a bellcrank lever connected between said arms and said foldin steps in such a manner that as, the door is c osed the bell-crank lever is given swinging movement about its point do not of" mounting and the step is brought to its collapsed position and as the door is opened the step is moved to its extended position.

2. In a vehicle having an opening through the floor thereof, 9.

opening, a set of steps connected in the openin at least one of said steps con-' structe under the remainin step, aliell-crank lever pivotally connecte with one of the nonoldin steps, and meansconnected between I the be l-crank lever and the door and between the step and the bell-crank lever in such a manner that as the door is opened the step is brought to its extended position and as the door is closed the step is brought to its" collapsed position.

3. In a vehicle having an opening through the floor thereof, a door hinged adjacent thereto to swing down over and close said opening, a set of steps mounted within the opening, at least one of said steps having the tread and riser thereof hinged together and hinged to the tread of the step above in such a manner that they may be ollapsed to rest beneath and against" e underside of the tread of the step above, an arm secured to the door to swing therewith, an arm rigidly connected with the tread of the collapsible step, a bell-crank lever pivoted to one of the stationary steps, and said arms and the bell-crank lever so connected that as the door is swung to its open position the step is breught to an extended relation and as the door is closed the step is swung to its collapsed position. Y

4. In a vehicle having an'opening through the floor thereof, a door hinged adjacent thereto to swing down over and close said opening, a set of steps mounted within the opening, at least one of said steps having the tread and riser thereof hinged together and hinged to the tread of the step above in such a manner that the riser and tread may be collapsed to rest beneath and against the underside of the tread of the step to which the same is hinged, an arm rigidly connected with said door to extend substantially at right angles thereto, an arm rigidly connected with the tread of the collapsible step, a bell-crank lever pivoted at its angle bearing to one of the stationary steps, the arm from the step tread connected with one of the swinging arms of said bell-crank lever, a lever pivoted'to one of said stationary steps and connected with the free arm of the bell-crank lever, and aflconnection between said swinging lever and the arm rigidly mounted on the door so formed that as the door is swung to the open position the step isextended and as the door is closed the step oor hlnged adjacent thereto to swing down over and close saidto be collapsed and... folded up the floor thereof, a door hinged adjacent lapsed to a folded relation, an arm rigidly.

secured to the door to extend substantially at right angles thereto, a bell-crank lever pivoted at its angle bearing to the structure of the stationary steps, an arm rlgidly secured to the tread ofsaid collapslble step and pivotally connected with one of the arms of the bell-crank lever, a swinging lever pivoted to the riser of one of the steps and connected with the free arm of the bell-crank lever,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in preserce of two witnesses.

JAMES M; KELLY.

Witnesses OWEN SMITH, ANTON GRILL.

copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

